What do readers of this message board think about Ballroom Dancing becoming an olympic sport?

A similar situation exists in the world of Chess: it, too, is under consideration by the IOC. See, e.g, the controversy surrounding a player who refused to take a drug test, which was required because the World Chess Federation is trying to conform to IOC rules. http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=5080

I am sure somebody will correct me if I am wrong. If I am I wish they would.
The problem is many of us out there would not pass a drug test. If you have a heart problem or your body has a tendancy to store fluid you are probably taking a fluid tablet daily. That fluid tablet because it eliminates fluid can mask the taking of other drugs that show in the urine..We had an athlete in another sport who was given a ban because he had fluid tablets in his system. His excuse was he had a tendancy to store fluid. A lady dancer Edita Daniute only a short time ago was banned because she bought an over the counter slimming herbal preperation from a Health Spa which was recomended to her and resulted in her being banned. No wonder the WDC are not having any part of this. Which side are you on. Also do you want somebody knocking on your door on Xmas day with a bottle in their hand. You could be tested any day anywhere at any time in season or out. One guy was dragged into this because he wasn't at the house he had down as his residence. He had moved to his mothers or something. Its getting ridicules if you can't move to mum's without making a public anouncement. Anyway Ballroom Dancing will never become an Olympic Sport so why have the IDSF tied themselves to it.
As for Chess. What possible drug could I take that would make me a better Chess player. Or in dancing improve my heel turns.

I think the Olympics would ruin a beautiful form of artistry.

I hate to see how regimented once graceful sports have become. Who wants ballroom to be an accumulation of the ten magic moves we all perform so we can score higher than anyone else?

It makes it wooden. Yes you have to be athletic to dance, but it isn't the steps. The truly gifted transcend and become more somehow. How can you measure art? How can beauty be anything but subjective? Would we limit and ignore the soul of dance, the flirty erotocism of the rumba, the cheekiness of the Quickstep? Can that be measured on a scorecard or would we loose what makes ballroom magnificent?

Just my humble opinion.

One only need to look at judging scandals in other judged events (e.g. gymnastics and figure skating) to see what lies in store for ballroom.

I enjoy watching both of those activities and don't need the false energy of competition to make them more entertaining.

The truth is that the push to get ballroom into the Olympics is about money - period.



j

>>What do readers of this message board think about Ballroom Dancing becoming an olympic sport? <<

Am I missing something? I thought Ballroom - a.k.a. dancesport - already became an Olympic Sport, as of some 5-6 years ago????

And who won Gold at the last Games, then?

Dancesport is a "Recognized" Olympic sport, but not a "Medal" sport. The IOC recognizes IDSF as the governing body for Dancesport.

See website:
http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/if/fi_uk.asp?id_federation=43

To refuel this Ballroom Dancing and Olympic debate. How would one pick a couple to represent your country when most of the top partnerships are of a mixed nationality. Not only that many who are dancing under the USA banner are not American and are just as likely to move to the UK or wherever and next week be dancing under that flag. If anybody thinks that any two dancers may split there present partnership for a couple of glorious days that happen once every four years are not thinking straight.
I think the IOC were possibly swayed by the fact that in some European countries they can fill a stadium with 20,000 people. So they made it a recognized sport.In some European countries it was recognized as a sport long before there ever was a Dancesport or an IDSF.
My thoughts are lets stop dreaming about something that will never happen and try to improve what we have already got.

Athletes represent other countries all of the time in many sports, such as weight-lifting, wrestling, and track and field. The practice has been going on for decades.



jj

jofjoesboro. Not in an Olympic Games.
You would have to be a citizen of the country you are representing and having not represented any other country previously. If we went to another sport for instance Soccer. This means that one of those wealthy Middle East countries can not import the best players from countries all over the world and play them as their National Olympic team.
Could you imagine a Saudi Arabian Ice Hockey Team winning a Gold Medal at the Olympics